Detroit: Half-Human
by Claire Suzuhara
Summary: Hank laid next to Connor on the large hospital bed. Connor wore a hospital gown with blood stains on the whole right side of his torso. He had been in surgery for hours before, now he was resting next to Hank. Hank kept a comforting hand on Connor's knee in case he woke up and his forehead against Connor's. Edited cover coming soon... Picture:
1. Chapter 1

Waiting for the surgery to end seemed like an eternity. Hank's hair wasn't just standing on edge, it was falling out. He was beside himself with worry. The receptionist was annoyed at his constant questions and his tendency to slam his hands on her desk. He felt angry. At that Insurgent, at the parade, at Markus for not protecting Connor. At-

Himself.

He blamed himself most of all. Connor wouldn't be there, if he hadn't forced him too. Now, Connor was hurt. Because of him. It all reminded him of Cole.

Cole.

Hospital.

Not breathing.

He needed to breath.

Hank rushed out of the hospital, he needed fresh air. He vaguely noticed the receptionist calling for him asking if he was okay. He places both hands on a nearby wall. He was drowning. Maybe it was because of his despair, maybe it was the stress of waiting, or maybe it was the unshed tear. Hank voted all of the above.

He could see his breath in the cold air. It calmed his nerves enough to think clearer. His thought weren't crystal clear-when were they ever? He can't remember a time when he could think clearly. In fact, that why he normally drank.

He chuckled to himself. He could use a drink right about now. To calm his nerves or to forget about them. Hank couldn't see the in-between right now, the only thing he wanted was to see Connor.

Alive.

Breathing.

Safe.

In a furious rage, he punched the wall and watched the blood drip from his hand. How freaking long does it take to fix a friggin' android? Granted, the doctor were working on Connor were human doctors, but according to Cyberlife the anatomy isn't so different.

 **Flashback, four hours ago**

"Sir, none of us specialize in caring for androids." the nurse said somberly. Hank was hovering over Connor protectively as he laid on the stretcher bleeding out. As the nurse spoke he slowly turned his head angrily towards her.

"You do EVERYTHING you can for him, you hear me?! EVERYTHING!" Hank yelled. The doctor noticed the scuffle and came over.

"What seems to be the problem?" The doctor asked calmly. The nurse answered quickly.

"He brought in an android, sir." The doctor looked at Connor then at Hank. Somehow, Hank believed he was going to help Connor.

"Please...Help him...He's all I have." Hank pleaded, though he'd never admit to it-except to Connor. "I can't lose him, too." and perhaps it was Hank's pleas, but the doctor nodded and guided Connor to a OR. It was an hour or so before the doctor returned and began explain to Hank what was going to happen.

"In order to keep him alive, I need to add human blood to his system. I don't know if it will work, but I will try if I have your consent. Before you answer, you should know that no one has never performed this operation on an android before. This could do absolutely nothing or save his life. It's a 50-50 chance." the doctor paused, catching his breath. "If he does survive, you'll need to take him to Cyberlife immediately. They won't be able to remove the red blood with killing him, but they can stabilize him. They can also telling you what effects will take place. But-That's if he survives. What is your answer?"

"Do it." Hank replied without hesitation.

 **End of Flashback**

Hank leaned his back against the cold, stone wall. If he was being honest, he was scared. He had no idea what to think or what to imagine. He didn't want to think of the pain Connor was in or how the surgery might fail. At the same time, he wanted to think of what will happen once Connor's healed. They'll go on cases together and maybe chill at the bar or the park afterwards. He knew there was only half a chance that would be able to happen, so he tried to imagine instead.

He imagined Connor smirking at him saying how he appreciated how worried Hank was. He imagined taking Connor home and being greeted by Sumo, who seemed to really love Connor.

A door swinging open broke Hank out of his thoughts. It was the doctor. Hank stood immediately.

"He's alive." the doctor said. Hank collapsed to his knees as he thanked the doctor. "You can go and see him now." Hank nodded and collected himself as he rushed inside. The receptionist led him to Connor's room.

Hank stood in the doorway and stared at Connor. He looked so small and helpless in that bed. Nevertheless, even from the doorway Hank could see Connor's chest rising and falling gently. He slowly made his way over to the side of the bed. He did his best to blink back the tears, but he couldn't. He was crying. He placed a gentle hand on Connor's forehead and gently brushed back the hair with his thumb.

Hank sat on the bed, then shook his head and laid down. He faced Connor on the large hospital bed. Connor was wearing a hospital gown with blood stains on the whole right side of his torso. He had been in surgery for hours before, but now he was resting safely next to Hank. safe Hank kept a comforting hand on Connor's knee in case he woke up and his forehead against Connor's.

The doctor peered in the room, but quickly retreated. He secretly vowed to himself that he would talk to that man and his android tomorrow. Now, he'd let both rest peacefully.


	2. Chapter 2: Waking Up

Present time...

Hank woke up and saw Connor's eyes fluttering open. He reached over and gently touched his forehead.

Warm.

He felt alive.

Hank sighed in relief. In that moment, a nurse walked in and saw that they were awake. She left the room to inform the doctor. Connor blinked at Hank.

"What happened...?" Connor asked in a quiet voice. Hank heart dropped. He's never heard Connor sound so small and weak. "Where are we...?" Hank forced a smile and began stroking Connor's hair. Connor's eyes slowly shut in response to the comfort.

"It's okay, son...we're in the hospital now." Connor made a small noise and his eyes snapped open.

"Hospital...? Where humans go when they're sick...or injured...?" Hank nodded.

" 'Fraid so, kid..." Hank smiled at him again. "You did great today, Connor. Really great." Hank continued in a more hushed tone.

"Now, get some more rest, okay, bud?" Hank demanded softly. Connor nodded and starting dozing off.

It was a few hours later when Markus came in. Hank greeted him with a small nod.

"How is he?" Markus asked sincerely.

"He's going to be fine." Hank replied. It seemed as though he had more to say, but kept it to himself. Markus decided to ask about it.

"What is it, Lieutenant Anderson? You seem hesitant." Markus inquired peaceably. "Is there something else?" Hank frowned.

"I haven't even told him yet but," Hank paused. "Basically, Connor is now half-human." Markus' eyes went wide. Confusion covered his face.

"How is that possible?" Hank shrugged.

"I know about as much as you. All I know is that he now has human blood running inside him." Hank ran a hand through his hair. "Apparently, this means he'll also have different types of conditions and malfunctions and at the moment we have no idea what they are." The was a quiet pause for a good few minutes until Markus spoke.

"Well...how can we find out?" Markus asked finally finding his voice. Hank shook his head slowly.

"We gotta go to CyberLife. They're gonna tell us what they can figure out." Hank turned to look at Connor. "This may mean that we are not partners anymore."

"How's so?"

"It could get dangerous for him. What if one of his conditions affects the way he can defend himself?" Markus opened his mouth to respond but, no words came to him. Hank nodded. "Exactly." Connor stirred beside Hank.

Hank looked over in time to see Connor's eyes flutter open. He blinked for a moment then he scanned the room. His gaze landed on Markus. He felt himself smile a bit.

"Markus." Connor called sounding better than the first time he woke up today.

"Hey, Connor." Markus smiles gently and came closer. "I came to see you. I'm...really sorry that this happened to you."

"It's fine, of course. Nothing to worry about. Although," Connor looked over at Hank. "I am curious as to why I'm not at CyberLife getting repair."

"That's a long story right now, kiddo." Hank looked away and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I have to go now, Connor. But, I will let you know when I catch the Insurgent that did this to you." Markus said standing to leave. "I will be back as soon as I do."

"Then I'll see you then." Connor replied smiling. Markus gave a small wave and left.

"Alright, Connor. Can you walk?" Connor shifted his legs a little in response to the question.

"I believe so, Lieutenant." Hank nodded.

"Then we need to get you to CyberLife." Hank said. "I'll explain what happened on the way over there." Connor nodded.

"Whatever you say, Lieutenant."

It took them all of 45 minutes to check out of the hospital and get him to the car. Once in, Connor stared at Hank curiously. He seemed...hesitant. Very. Hesitant.

Hank glanced over, but continued starting the car and driving off. Five minutes later, the car ride was still in silence until finally Hank found his voice.

"That Insurgent--"

"Daniel--"

"Daniel...He roughed you up pretty good. He would have killed you if I hadn't found you. When I saw you, you were hanging with your arms tied and you had lots of deep gashes in both sides of your torso." Hank's voice trailed off for a moment before coming back. "You were bleeding out...I panicked and brought you to the hospital. You would have died if I decided to take you to CyberLife." Connor was silently listening with questions swarming around in his eyes. There was a moment of silence until Connor realized Hank wasn't going to continue.

"How did they fix me?" He asked.

"They, uh," Hank started nervously. "they infused human blood into your blue blood."

"They...what?" Connor felt dizzy, his LED was flashing multiple colors at one time. He didn't understand. It shouldn't have worked, he should be dead. Why didn't Hank let him die and take him to CyberLife to be fixed?

Questions swarmed around the bewildered Connor until they finally arrived at the CyberLife tower. Hank parked and turned to face Connor.

"Listen," he started softly. "Whatever happens, whatever they tell us...I swear everything will be okay." Connor stared at Hank dead in the eye and nodded. He felt tears sting his eyes. He was scared. He could feel the fear coming off of Hank and it scared him even more.

Hank got out of the car and walked to Connor's side. He pulled him and they walked into the building together. The Android receptionist smiled robotically as they came in.

"Welcome." She greeted. "Someone will be with you soon."

"Thanks." Hank mumbled, taking a seat. He looked up at Connor who stood beside him looking incredibly nervous. "Hey, sit down a sec. I wanna show you some of these pictures of Sumo." Connor lit up at the sound of the dog's name. He quickly took the seat next to him excitedly.

"When did you take these pictures?" Connor said scrolling through them happily. "I like this one!" He pointed to a picture of Sumo laying on top of Hank in Hank's bedroom. Hank chuckled a bit at the memory.


	3. Memory Upload No1

Hours Before The Incident...

Connor sat quietly in Hank's swivel chair at his desk. He had knees propped up while his arms rested on them. Like usual, he tossed the coin back and forth in a swift motion.

It was November 10th and the news was on the T.V. as Connor passively watched. The reporter was explaining how today was the anniversary of the Androids' freedom. The Androids had dubbed this day as their independence day and they would celebrate it accordingly. Connor vaguely notices his best friend Markus on the newsfeed as they played a video with Markus' explanation of the independence day.

Connor smiles softly to himself. He missed Markus, but they both have been busily working to keep Androids under control. Markus was leading them by being a king and Connor was apprehending the criminal androids with Hank. Both jobs kept them very busy.

Still, he wanted to find time to visit Markus.

"You should go celebrate, too." A voice said, pulling Connor back to reality. He looked up at Hank.

"Celebrate?"

"Yeah, with the other Androids. You are one of them, you should get to celebrate, too." Hank dropped a heavy hand on Connor's shoulder. "Besides, you never get to be with your people unless you'reapprehending them. I think it'd be good for you." He gently patted his shoulder and sat on the desk as he begins going through some case files.

Connor gave this some thought. He was just thinking about how he missed Markus. Maybe a break would do him some good. He smiled.

"I think I will, Lieutenant." Hank looked over at him and smirked.

"Atta boy, Connor. Now get going, I hear the parade starts tonight and I think I wanna see a bunch of plastics parading around their freedom." Hank ruffles Connor's hair and winks at him.

Connor smiles as he gets up to leave. As he walked away, his smile faded. He turned back to face Hank.

"Will you be okay on your own?" Hank glared at him then wave a hand at him.

"Do I look like I need a babysitter?"

No reply.

"Get outta here, Connor!" Hank yelled in mock anger. Connor laughed and jogged out the precinct.

Connor walked through the city with his head held high. He felt so giddy, he could whistle! He didn't though because Hank always told him to be considerate of those around him and sometimes people don't want you to whistle. No matter how happy you are.

So.

He settled for his coin instead. He tossed in the air and it spun around like fairy. It glimmered in the warm sunlight. He looked to his side and saw a glass building reflecting his beloved trinket. Connor smiled and boarded the bus. As soon as he got on, he felt out of place. He knew this bus was meant for humans, but Androids have since been allowed to ride on them if they so please.

Connor sat down next to a very foul smelling man. Not that he was left with much choice, the bus was very crowded at the moment. Connor gave the man a small smile while subtle glancing at him. The man stared intently at Connor. It made Connor feel uneasy. That feeling only made the man's smell seem worse with every passing minute. Even though it less though it was less than two it seemed so much longer.

"You're an Android, aren't you?" the man inquired. Connor's stomach did somersaults.

"I am." Connor replied a bit more shakily than he would have like. "I hope I am not bothering you with my presence. I can move if you desire it." He thought he was sincere enough yet the man made a sour face.

"You Androids are even taking our buses with us? I mean, what? You think you're huuman now?" The man turned to face Connor then roughly pushed Connor's cheek. "Look at me when I am speaking to you!" Connor turned to face the man, vaguely aware of the other passengers watching and whispering about the scene.

"I apologize sincerely, I will move--"

"Don't you Androids ever listen?!" The man yelled cutting him off. Connor snapped his gaze elsewhere only for the man to grab his face and squeeze. "Listen to me--"

Suddenly, another hand slaps away the foul man's hand.

"Get your hands off him!" roared the familiar voice.

Hank.

Hank's voice sounding through the air felt like a drink of cold water on a hot summer day to Connor. A fire in the pitch black. Connor nearly sighed in relief.

"I-I..." the foul man sputtered and dropped his hand. Hank grabbed Connor and pull him off the bus.

"Come on, Connor," Hank mumbled. "I'll take you." Connor felt relieved at the same time as feeling frustrated. He couldn't tell which feeling was stronger.

"Lieutenant," Connor stumbled. "I was perfectly capable of handling the situation. I didn't need--" Hank lifted his hand and cut Connor off.

"No, your version of handling it would've been to take the abuse." Hank dropped his hand at his side and turned to face Connor. "You don't know how to handle these type of situations." He paused for a moment.

"Yet." Hank continued. Connor tilted his head in curiosity.

"I'm afraid I don't understand." Connor responded. Hank sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"Well, you will one day. For now, I'll take you to Markus." Hank insisted. "Get in the car." He pulled the keys out and unlocked Connor's door.

Connor plops into his seat and strapped. He started replaying the events of a few moments ago and realized he never asked about the elephant in the room.

"Hank," Connor started turning toward his lieutenant. "why did you come for me?" Hank looked at him and scoffed.

"You're never gonna believe it." Hank mumbled. He reached into his coat pocket and wrapped a soft, warm piece of cloth around Connor's neck. "You forgot your scarf." Connor stared in bewilderment at the scarf. Hank wouldn't normally bring the scarf to him, instead he would simply scold him for forgetting it later.

"Lieutenant, is there another reason?" Connor suspected. Hank scoffed again and smiled at Connor.

"As soon as you left, I thought about how people were probably being even more hostile towards Androids today." Hank ran a hand through his hair. "I got worried and came for you." Connor felt a strange warm feeling inside him when Hank spoke. This feeling is one he is very familiar with.

Ever since he became a deviant, the time he spends with Hank makes him feel this way. He still doesn't know how to describe it, but he enjoys it. He's learned how to cherish the feeling by keeping the memories in the forefront of his mind and remembering them often. He had no idea how to explain this process. How does one explain the process of cherishing memories?

"I...appreciate your concern, Lieutenant." Connor stumbled a bit over his words. He only seems to have trouble finding his words when it comes to Hank. It's been that way since they first met. "I hadn't consider how humans see our independence day. I suppose it make sense for them to be angry."

"Yeah, but don't get it too twist," Hank requested, driving through the city. "some humans are happy to see Androids being free."

"Like you?"

"Yeah, but there are others, too." Hank chuckled lowly. "But for now on, I want you to be more careful around humans. Maybe not tell them you're an Android." Connor looked confused.

"You want me to lie about who I am?"

"Heavens no! I just mean that they don't need to know the moment you first meet them." Hank explains. "There's a saying about it, it goes 'if they don't ask, don't tell'." Connor looked thoughtfully out the window. The snow seem to start falling in that moment.

"So if they don't ask if I'm an Android, then I don't have tell them I'm an Android?"

"Exactly!" Hank exclaimed cheerfully, tapping his hand on the steering wheel. "You can be yourself without them ever knowing that you're an Android."

"But that man somehow knew I was an Android. That's why he asked." Connor inquired.

"And you're gonna get that sometimes, you'll know how to handle that situation soon. I'll teach you, but the most important thing to know is that you need to avoid violence as much as possible." Hank shifted in his seat with one hand on the steering wheel and the other gesturing his point. "Now if someone pulls a gun out on you, don't hesitate to defend yourself. But if they just say a bunch of crock, ignore them and walk away. " Hank waved his hand dismissively.

"I...think I understand, Lieutenant." Connor replied still a bit confused. Hank smiled and ruffled Connor's hair affectionately.

"That's good, son." Hank sighed calmly. "And besides, you're becoming more and more humanlike everyday."

Markus was making his way to his new residence. He and North had decided to live together after the events a year ago. They moved in about 2 months ago and have still been unpacking. The two have only gotten closer since it all went down last year. They knew each other almost perfectly. Almost.

North still harbored a hatred toward humans, while Markus loved them. This fact put a bit of a gap between them. Though the gap only seems to appear when days like the Androids' Independence Day were here. North couldn't seem to agree with Markus about anything today. All of the Androids had agreed to have a parade for their independence about two months in advance, but North doesn't seem to being sticking with her opinions anymore. First, she thought it stupid to have a parade to celebrate or to celebrate at all. After that, only one mere hour later, she changed her mind once again saying that she wanted the parade and that it had to be perfect and safe for their people.

Needless to say, Markus was at a loss of what to do.

About everything.

North wasn't the only one who was indecisive about today. It seems like all of the other Androids wanted something different. They all pretended as though Markus had full control and that they were simply offering their opinions, but Markus wasn't fooled. He could tell that they hid their intentions behind their soft compromises and ideas.

"You're home." A sweet voice rang softly. Markus hadn't realized he was home, let alone made it up to the door without thinking. Nevertheless, he gave North a warm smile and leaned in to give her a small peck on the cheek.

"And how glad I am to be here." Markus remarked wistfully. "There's no better place than wherever you are." North rolled her eyes.

"How romantic." North drawled and giggled lightly. She tapped on his chest a bit before making her way back to the kitchen. Markus followed her in.

"How's unpacking?" Markus asked.

"Unfruitful and slow without you helping me." North whined. "You could be helping."

"You know I have--"

"The people to deal with. I know." She interrupted. "I just wish you took some time off to help out with OUR home." There she goes again! Her mood changes so fast Markus can't keep up. This morning, she was telling him to prepare for the big parade this evening and now she wants him at home unpacking.

What was it she really wanted?

Markus' frown increased. North must have noticed the silence, because she looked over at him and sighed.

"I'm sorry, Markus...I'm just a bit stressed out by all of this." North acknowledged. Markus nodded but said nothing in hopes of pushing her to say more. "I mean, the humans still hate us and some Androids are becoming criminals because of our pacifist resolve."

"North, we don't know why some of the Androids are becoming Insurgents." Markus added. "You'll remember what we found in the last one."

"You mean the errors?" North asked squinting slightly. "That could just be self-harm or...something."

"It seems like more than that, but it's going to take more investigating." Markus responded. "Until then, we should be relaxing and celebrating our freedom." He walked around the counter until his arms found her and wrapped around her waist. As he sighed, he put his head in the crook of her neck.

"Okay..." North responded.


End file.
